Charles L. Fontenay 
Beauty Interrupted 

Birkala simmers with resentment that the mysterious Earthman Erik enjoys wealth and an unnaturally long lifespan, while Birkala’s own people struggle in poverty and die young. When Birkala and his friend Direka discover a forbidden chamber hidden in Erik’s home, housing technology beyond their comprehension, he cannot resist experimenting with the tempting, dangerous controls. But his tampering goes horribly awry, and his beloved sister Spira is caught in a terrifying dimensional trap that leaves her mind shattered. It seems Earth’s advanced science hides perils dire enough to threaten the very existence of Birkala’s world, perils for which its people are utterly unprepared…